Jacksonville Arboretum & Botanical Gardens

Beautiful place to go and get some steps in while enjoying all the scenery. We love going on a little day date here

When we arrived in the parking lot, there was only a table and information on how to put your $3 admission fee into an envelope in the box. There were 3 of us so we donated $10. We found a map/trail guide to help us navigate. Ok, I really love the outdoors and I enjoy hiking in nature. I was excited to check out the Jax Arboretum when I was in town. I guess I'll sum it up to say it was "underwhelming." I regularly visit the Dallas Arboretum and it is so beautiful with various flowers and greenery year round, so it was that standard that I am accustomed to. The Jax Arboretum is basically a hiking trail with a few signs posted. There actually was even a sign posted for poison ivy, which could actually prove useful to someone. The trails are not well marked and the few people we passed by seemed to be a little lost and frustrated. The huge pond with lily pads was beautiful!

Came here with friends to do the Christmas lights walkthrough. While it was short, it was a nice experience and very pretty. They had a hot chocolate stand and other food options. They also had the opportunity to take free pictures with Santa! I would say that it was a bit pricey for how short the walk is.

The Jacksonville Arboretum Holiday Lights was a fun time. The walking loop is great for families of all ages. The walk concludes with free pictures with Santa. There was a hot chocalate truck and BBQ food truck. We spent an hour at the Arboretum with kids aged 2 through 17.

Great in the daytime. Superb in the chill of December Christmas season. Their Holiday lights was well designed and made for a really lovely evening. We liked it so much we went back for a second evening later in the month with a different crew with us.

This is a nice place for a walk... sometimes a long walk depending on the trail you pick. They have improved on this park a lot over the years and have added a lot of floral elements along the beginning of the trails and the main entrance. They even hold events here sometimes. I would definitely suggest bug spray, sunscreen, hydration, snacks, etc when visiting here. There are restrooms at the entrance, but that's pretty much it. There are benches throughout the park along the trail. Most of the trails are pretty natural like made out of dirt and tree roots and some of the trails are made of boardwalk, so wear appropriate footwear for your comfort. I personally prefer closed toe shoes.If you like nature and would like to adventure on some nice trail, you should check this place out.

A serene place to take a nice walk with the different trails. Even to sit and relax with a good book. Picturesque views are great for photos/photography. It was really just quiet and relaxing

I'm always amazed by how many festivities pop up in Jacksonville for the holiday season. I went on a Monday evening for the annual Dazzling Lights event at the local arboretum and it was a splendid night out. Many families and couples strolling about, drinking hot cocoa or warm spirits. There is a path that you can follow to see all the installations, although when I wanted to leave, the signs were a bit sparse on where the exit was. I was following signs for what I thought was the way out, only to be redirected from the employee exit driveway. Oops!Anyway, my favorite light installations were, of course, the Christmas tree, the twinkling snowflakes, and the illuminated paths with the flickering lights that imitated fireflies. I was disappointed though that there was one section on my way to the shuttle that wasn't lit up, which were the lanterns on the stakes. Furthermore, for the pricepoint, I was expecting a bit more light displays, but it is a good option for those who want to get into the festive spirit.I would like to visit the Arboretum some time in the Spring or Summer during the day to see what the grounds are like.

Beautiful gardens with easy trails that are family friendly and safe. We discover something new and different every time we're hiking. It's such a peaceful place and I always feel better after I've had a couple of loops around.

We went to the Glowing Gardens to see the lights for the holiday and although the lights were beautiful, last years event was better. I was very disappointed that there wasn't the igloo with snow, live entertainment or more stations to buy cute light up items for the kids. I purchased 5 tickets and feel like the price of admission was not worth the money. And we had to pay another $12 to park or park elsewhere and get shuttled to the event. If this was someone's first time seeing the lights, I'm sure they were impressed but for us it was very disappointing. Won't return next year.